2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Photo: Yulia Davidovich / Rusmediabank.ru
In the winter cold, sometimes you really want to taste fresh berries. And this will not be a problem for those who are fond of cranberry propagation. The berries of this perennial, unusual for traditional gardening, can be harvested both in frost and even in the spring of next year after wintering the shrub under the snow. What does a cranberry need to grow successfully?
Conditions for growing cranberries
In natural habitat, cranberries can often be found on peat bogs, which are characterized by a high occurrence of groundwater - at a level of about 40-50 cm, as well as an underlying sandy horizon. This evergreen shrub prefers soil acidity in the 4-5 pH range. Therefore, on soil with a neutral reaction, cranberries will grow poorly.
To provide acceptable conditions for growing cranberries in the garden, the beds are arranged from a mixture of 3 parts of peat and 1 part of sand. The thickness of such a nutrient substrate is made approximately 10-12 cm. The beds are broken up in a place where there are no obstacles to sunlight. An area with sliding penumbra during the day is also suitable.
Propagation of cranberries by cuttings
Cuttings for propagation of cranberries are cut from vertical shoots twice a year:
• in spring - from April to May;
• in autumn - in September-October.
The optimum length of planting material is from 15 to 20 cm. If the weather is favorable, the cuttings can be planted for rooting directly into the ground. Otherwise, they are rooted in peat cubes. The peculiarity of planting is that the cutting is almost completely immersed in the substrate, leaving no more than 3 cm of the cut shoot peeking out on the surface.
In the nursery, the planting material is arranged according to the 2x5 cm scheme. However, when planting in pots during the subsequent transplantation, the root system is less injured. Therefore, instead of a nursery, it is better to give preference to individual containers, from which the seedlings are extracted by transshipment.
If the cuttings are planted immediately to a permanent place, then they will need a feeding area of at least 25x25 cm. It is recommended to put a couple of cuttings in one hole at once. After planting, mulching with moss is carried out.
Cranberry planting care
In the future, caring for cranberries consists in weeding, infrequent watering and sanding the beds every three years. Cranberries do not need feeding. However, it will benefit from mycorrhiza - a colony of very useful fungi that settle at the roots. Under natural plant conditions, these microorganisms help the perennial to feed on poor swampy soils. For the garden, mycorrhiza can be purchased.
In winter, with snowless weather, cranberries can face damage such as freezing and drying of the stems. In the fight against these troubles, experienced gardeners use winter flooding of plantings. To do this, they wait for the moment when the soil will freeze a few centimeters in depth. After that, water is poured in. The rest will be done by the weather: the water will freeze and the cranberries will spend the winter frozen in ice.
The healing power of berries
The flowering period of the shrub falls on May-June. But juicy fruits ripen for a long time - they will not become edible until September. Delicious desserts and winter preparations are made from cranberries: fruit drinks, juices, preserves, marshmallows. Berries can be glazed with chocolate, icing sugar. It does not lose its taste when frozen.
But best of all, berries that have not been heat treated will preserve their useful qualities. To do this, make a harvest of soaked cranberries. The recipe for such a treat is very simple. The berries are poured into glass jars or enamel pans and poured with cold boiled water. The container is sealed and left in a cool dark place. It is a good antipyretic agent, and it also helps in the fight against colds.
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